1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal fitting.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-222815, a terminal fitting having an electric wire crimping section for connecting an electric wire to the terminal fitting by crimping is disclosed. In this terminal fitting, the construction in which the groove is formed on the contact surface of the electric wire crimping section which contacts the conductor of the electric wire is adopted. In this construction, the periphery of the conductor is caught by the groove. Thereby the conductor-fixing force of the electric wire crimping section is enhanced.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-262842, there is disclosed a terminal fitting having the electric wire crimping section constructed of the substrate part where an electric wire is placed and a pair of barrel pieces projected from both sides of the substrate part and crimped from the outside to the core exposed to the outside at the end of the electric wire. In this construction, by crimping both barrel pieces to the core, the terminal fitting is electrically connected to the electric wire.
In the terminal fitting described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-222815, the depth of the groove is limited to the range of the sheet thickness of the electric wire crimping section. Thus the groove has a small locking area in locking the conductor thereto. Therefore when the electric wire crimping section is thin, there is a case in which a sufficient conductor-fixing force cannot be obtained.
In the terminal fitting described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-262842, by forming the concave portion which decreases the sheet thickness of the barrel pieces on the inner surfaces thereof and disposing the core along the inner surface of the concave portion, it is possible to enhance the core-retaining force of both barrel pieces and improve the reliability in the connection between the terminal fitting and the electric wire. But in this case, when the crimping force of both barrel pieces is set high, the barrel pieces spread with a crimping operation. Therefore there is a great reduction in the sheet thickness of portions of the barrel pieces disposed at a position corresponding to the position of the concave portion. Thereby there occurs a problem that the strength of the electric wire crimping section becomes short.
The present invention has been completed based on the above-described situation. It is an object of the present invention to improve the conductor-fixing force of an electric wire crimping section. It is another object of the present invention to secure the strength of the electric wire crimping section.